title: Body shape by 3-D photonic scanning in Thai and UK adults: comparison of national sizing surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) cut-offs associated with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease differ between European and Asian populations, and among Asian populations. Within-population and ethnic variability in body shape has likewise been linked with variability in cardiovascular risk in western settings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore differences between Thai and White UK adults in body shape and its associations with height, age and BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on weight and body shape by 3-D photonic scanning from National Sizing Surveys of UK (3542 men, 4130 women) and Thai (5889 men, 6499 women) adults aged 16-90 years, using a common protocol and methodology, were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thai adults in both sexes had significantly smaller body girths than UK adults after adjusting for age and height. Matching for BMI, and adjusting for height and age, Thais in both sexes tended to have similar or greater limb girths, but significantly smaller torso girths (especially waist and hip) than UK individuals. These results were replicated within narrow BMI bands at ∼20 and ∼25 kg m(-2). Shape-age associations also differed between the populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young Thai adults have a significantly slighter physique than White UK adults, with a less central distribution of body weight. However these differences reduce with age, especially in males. The 3-D photonic scanning provides detailed digital anthropometric data capable of monitoring between- and within-individual shape variability. The technology merits further application to investigate whether variability in body shape is more sensitive to metabolic risk than BMI within and between-populations.
authors.affiliation: Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK. J.Wells@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: J C K
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Treleaven
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charoensiriwath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017785:Photons; D013785:Thailand / Q000208:ethnology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*